This is a private guided tour report by Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.), a network of 1,000+ government-licensed, English-speaking local guides across all 47 prefectures of Japan. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Tour Itinerary
- 09:50 Meet at the 20th floor lobby of the Odakyu Century Southern Tower in Shinjuku. Interview them about places they want to visit, etc., and decide as follows. Shinjuku Gyoen → Sensoji Temple → Meiji Shrine. Since the hotel front desk sells the subway 1-day common pass, purchased it for 800 yen and departed.
- 10:45-11:30 Guided them through Shinjuku Gyoen.
- 12:10-13:00 Upon arriving at Asakusa Station, everyone said they were hungry, so we had a ramen lunch at Tanaka Soba shop on Kannon-dori.
- 13:00-14:50 Guided them through Nakamise-dori and Sensoji Temple. They did quite a bit of shopping for food and souvenirs. After finishing, moved to Meiji Shrine.
- 15:25-16:20 Guided them through Meiji Shrine. They had said they would return to the hotel in Shinjuku, so I tried to accompany and take them, but the daughter and son said they wanted to go to Ginza, so the family of 4 got into a taxi in front of Harajuku Station, and we parted ways.
Title: What's a Private One-Day Tour of Tokyo Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Shinjuku Gyoen, Asakusa, and Meiji Shrine
The guests were a group from North America on a summer holiday trip. At Shinjuku Gyoen, the group enjoyed the Japanese garden very much and took photographs. However, it was quite hot, and at the request of one of the guests we spent about 45 minutes on the Japanese garden only. When we arrived in Asakusa for lunch, everyone said they were very hungry, so I asked what they would like. They said either sushi or ramen, so I had them look at both a sushi restaurant and a ramen restaurant along Kannon-dori. Opinions were split within the group, which was amusing. After discussing it, they decided on the ramen restaurant and went to Tanaka Soba. They loved the flavor here so much that everyone ordered a second bowl of ramen. It was the right choice. Afterward, I took them to Nakamise, and one of the guests said, "I love the atmosphere of this place." Starting with a kimono as a gift, they bought a considerable number of items, including a folding fan, a furoshiki cloth, sweets, ice cream, and a good-luck charm, and were very satisfied. After finishing at Meiji Shrine, some of the guests said they wanted to return to the hotel since it had been such a hot day, but suddenly some of the guests spoke up, saying they wanted to go shopping in Ginza. As the whole group planned to head to Ginza by taxi, I helped them hail a taxi in front of Harajuku Station, and the tour ended. As we parted, the guests said, "We had a wonderful time. You are our friend," so I understand that they were very satisfied.
Click here for more details: Tokyo Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Subway | Shinjuku～Shinjuku-sanchome | 800JPY |
| Section 2 | Subway | Shinjuku-gyoenmae～Asakusa | 0JPY |
| Section 3 | Subway | Asakusa～Meiji-jingumae | 0JPY |
| Total | 800JPY | ||
I acquired national guide license in 2014, and I have been doing guide work full fledged since 2016. In my career before starting guide work, I was a business man and made more than 1,000 business trips both abroad and in Japan, and that experience is my foundation as a guide because I came to know so many places both abroad and in Japan. I have been taking care of both group and individual tourists, and the number of foreign guests I have taken care is close to 2,500 so far. I am based in Tokyo, but I can cover guide work in many prefectures throughout Japan. When I take care of foreign guests, my major concern is to listen attentively to them, find out what they want to know and do in Japan, and give them appropriate guiding in accordance with what I heard from my guests. I would like to provide tailor made tour as much as possible for every precious guest who kindly chose Japan as the tour destination.
Aug 1, 2025
8
898kendrap
Great first day in Tokyo!
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Asai, our tour guide, made our…
Aug 1, 2025
8
898kendrap
Great first day in Tokyo!
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Asai, our tour guide, made our first day in Tokyo so memorable and enjoyable! He shared his knowledge and love for the city as he showed us around. We now understand how to navigate the train system, and he even left us a list of how to explore other areas of the city by train. Our tour was a fun way to get acquainted with this amazing city!
Jul 14, 2025
Anette_V
Perfect
Viator review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our guide Minoru Asai was very friendly and knowledgeable about culture,…
Jul 14, 2025
Anette_V
Perfect
Viator review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our guide Minoru Asai was very friendly and knowledgeable about culture, history and
society. He picked and showed us more than We expected. Also he was good Company for
both me, my husbond and our son aged 22.
Jun 30, 2025
liammL2246HL
Amazing experience
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We had an amazing private tour with Minoru Asai! We…
Jun 30, 2025
liammL2246HL
Amazing experience
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
We had an amazing private tour with Minoru Asai! We loved seeing all of the sights on the tour and Minoru was extremely knowledge about all things in Tokyo and else-wear in Japan. We were able to adjust the stops due to the heat (it was up to 35C!) and Minoru had great suggestions for things to check out. Highly recommend!
Jun 26, 2025
394milesd
Excellent guide making an excellent day in Tokyo
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
A perfect day, tailored…
Jun 26, 2025
394milesd
Excellent guide making an excellent day in Tokyo
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
A perfect day, tailored to our needs (and the weather) and delivered so attentively by our guide Minoru Asai. He was in contact in advance of the day to understand our interests, and advised us on practicalities and remained flexible throughout the day as required. His knowledge, and passion, for the history of Tokyo made the day! Could not have asked for more.